Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), announced today’s sentencing of defendant Vladimyr Jean Baptiste, 41, of Coral Springs, Florida. Baptiste was sentenced to 57 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $331,459.49 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Baptiste previously pled guilty to a 76-count superseding indictment that charged him with 73 counts of aiding in the preparation and presentation to the Internal Revenue Service of false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040 and 1040A, for calendar years 2007 through 2010, in violation of Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7206(2); and three counts of failing to file personal income tax returns for calendar years 2008 through 2010, in violation of Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7203.

According to court documents, Baptiste operated Tax Plus in Pompano Beach, Florida and filed numerous false income tax returns for clients. These false returns claimed fraudulent statuses, wages, deductions, credits and expenses. Specifically, Baptiste admitted to: inflating earned income credits; encouraging clients to file separately with each individual claiming head of household although married, thereby obtaining additional tax credits; and giving various clients a fictitious $3,650 personal tax exemption for returns and allowances to lower their taxes. Baptiste also admitted that he has not filed his personal tax returns for the past five years.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CID. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Walleisa.